Electric conduit-box.



No. 768,545. PATENTEDAUG. 23, 1904.

D. SHEA. ELECTRIC CONDUIT BOX. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20, 1903. N0 MODEL.

Inventor Witnesses BV & 4

I I I I Attorney Patented August 23, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DENNIS SHEA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC CONDUlT-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,545, dated August 23, 1904.

Application filed August 20, 1903.

T0 rtZZ 1072/0112 it may concern:

Be it known that I, DENNIS SHEA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Conduit-Boxes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention-relates to improvements in electric conduit-boxes used for installing conduits for electrical wires in buildings; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

One object of my invention is to perfect improvements in the construction of a conduit-box of this character whereby the same may be readily secured in place in such manner as to lie perpendicularly to the wall or ceiling to which it is applied under all conditions.

A further object of my invention is to provide improved means for attaching a fixture to the box, whereby the fixture may be adjusted as may be required to cause the sam to hang exactly vertically.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an electrical conduit-box embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is partly a plan view and partly a sectional view of the same, and Fig. 3 is asimilar view showing another form of the box. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a modification. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the flexible fastening-straps, showing the same detached from the box and with its ends bent as when secured to the box, the ends of the strap being shown in dotted lines in their original straightened condition.

In the embodiment of my invention I provide a base-plate 1, which may be of any suitable size and shape and is provided at its ends with extensions 2, which have openings 3 for screws, bolts, or other suitable devices 0 secure the base-plate to a wall or ceiling efore the same has been plastered. The

gth of the said extensions is such that they Serial No. 170,207. (No model.)

will extend across any hole which may result when cutting through a hollow tile such as is used in the construction of fireproof buildings of modern type and which holes are likely to be somewhat broken and of somewhat irregular form, and hence the base-plate is adapted to lie snugly against such a hollow tile in a position exactly parallel therewith. The said base-plate has a central opening 4 and is provided in its central enlarged portion 5 with a suitable number of openings 6, which are near the outer edge of said enlargement and are suitably spaced apart.

To the outer side of the base-plate is secured a socket-piece 7, which has a substantially spherical socket 8 on its inner side opposite to the base-plate and which socketpiece is concentric with reference to the opening I. In the form of my invention here shown the socket-piece is detachably secured to the base-plate by means of bolts 9, or any other suitable means may be employed, if preferred, to secure the socket-piece to the base plate. The socket-piece is provided with adjusting-slots 10. A tubular fixturestub 11, which is provided at its outer end with a screw-thread 12 for the attachment of a fixture thereto, has its opposite end spherically enlarged, as at 13, said spherical enlargement fitting in the socket ofthe socketpiece -7, and hence adapting the fixture-stub to be adjusted angularly with reference to the base-plate to cause the said fixture-stub to be disposed perpendicularly to the wall or ceiling to which the box is secured or at any desired angle with reference thereto. Set-screws 14: are provided, which enter threaded openings in the spherical enlargement 13 and operate in the slots 10. These set-screws enable the fixture-stub to be locked in place when the same has been appropriately adjusted.

On the outer side ofthe enlarged central portion of the base-plate is fitted awall-piece 15. This wall-piece may be either circular, as shown in Fig. 2, or rectangular, as shown in Fig. 3. It may also be of any other shape desired. On the outer side of the wall-piece, which is disposed, preferably, concentrically g with reference to the fixture-stub, is a cap 16,

' stub and the socket-piece.

which coacts with the wall-piece and the baseplate to form the box that incloses the fixture- The cap has a central opening 16 to expose the outer end of the fixture-stub, and the cap forms a supportingbase for the fixture when the latter is in place. The wall-piece has openings 21. The cap, wall-piece, and base-plate are secured together by fastening devices 18, which are metallic straps of suitable length and width and are adapted to have their ends passed through the opening 6 in the base plate and through notches 18 in the outer edge of the wall-piece and to be bent reversely, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to secure the wall-piece to the base-plate. Each of the said fastening straps or devices is provided on its inner side at or near its outer end with ashouldered enlargement 19, having a threaded opening for the engagement of a screw 20. The said screw serves to secure the cap to the outer edge of the wall-piece and to the fastening devices, as shown.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the parts of my improved conduit-box may be readily assembled and disassembled and that by varying the width of the wallpiece the conduit-box may be employed in any situation. I

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 the cap is provided with threaded openings 22 for screws which may be employed to secure a switch-plate to a wall.

In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 4: the wall-piece 15 is comparatively shallow, is not provided with openings, the cap is dispensed with, and the straps 18 are employed only to secure the wall-piece to the base-plate.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, operation, and advantages of my invention will be readily apparent, it is thought, without requiring a more extended explanat1on.

Var1ous changes in the form, proportlon,

and the minor details of construction may be 1. An electric conduit-box having a baseplate, a socket-piece secured to. the base-plate and provided with adjusting-slots, a fixturestub having an enlarged portion fitted and angularly adjustable in said socket-piece, and set-screws in said adjusting-slots and engaging said fixture-stub to secure the latter when adjusted, substantially as described.

2. An electric box, comprising a base-plate, a Wall-piece and fastening devices securing them together, comprising flexible strips having their end portions passed through openings in the base, and bent reversely to bear on the wall-piece, substantially as described.

3. An electric conduit-box havinga base, a wall-piece, a cap, and fastening devices securing them together, said fastening devices comprising flexible straps having their end portions passed through openings in the base,

bent reversely and bearing on the wall-piece,

shoulders on the inner sides of said straps to bear in the angle between the wall-piece and the cap, and securing devices securing the cap to said shoulders, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Wit- DENNIS SHEA.

'nesses.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM DoWNs, JOHN MoGrINNIs. 

